Happy (almost) 4th of July! Need a roundup of the local news impacting Kensington?
Kensington Voice publishes weekly news updates to increase community information. There’s a monthly roundup in our print newspaper, too.
Here’s this week’s roundup below.
FREE ACTIVITIES: To browse upcoming programs at Kensington, McPherson Square, and Lillian Marrero libraries, visit freelibrary.org/calendar.
SWIMMING AT HEITZMAN: Heitzman pool opens this Wednesday, July 5, for the season at 3631 Amber St. The schedule includes public swimming from Monday-Friday, 1-4 p.m., and Saturday-Sunday, 12-3 p.m.; family swimming on Mondays, Wednesday, and Fridays, 5-7 p.m., and Saturday-Sunday, 3-5 p.m.; adult swim on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 5-7 p.m. To register for swim lessons (Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.) or the swim team (Monday-Friday, 4-5 p.m.), contact heitzmanreccenter@phila.gov.
SCANLON POOL MAINTENANCE: Scanlon pool opened on June 21 for the 2023 season. However, the pool is now temporarily closed for maintenance work. For updates, email scanlonreccenter@phila.gov or call 215-685-9893. Visit the Parks and Rec Finder for a map of swimming pools near you.
COMMUNITY MEETING: The 24th Police District is having a community meeting this Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at Heitzman Recreation Center. The meeting is for residents in the district’s Police Service Area 1. To look up your service area, go to phillypolice.com. For more information, contact tina.willis@phila.gov.
HARROWGATE CLEAN UP: The Harrowgate Civic Association is hosting block clean-ups the second Saturday of the month (July 8, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.) until October. For more information, contact Pamela Ramos at pamela.ramos@phila.gov or 267-239-1360.
HARROWGATE FESTIVAL: The Harrowgate Summer Festival is this Saturday, July 8, 12-3 p.m., at Harrowgate Park. The Friends of Harrowgate Park is hosting the annual event this year instead of the Harrowgate Civic Association. However, the festival activities and partners will remain the same.
PHILLY GOATS: The Philly Goat Project will be at Norris Square Park this Saturday, July 8, 1-3 p.m. The free event includes reading, walking, and playing with the goats. The rain date is this Sunday, July 9.
COMMUNITY MEETING: The 24th Police District is having a community meeting next Monday, July 10, at 6:30 p.m. The meeting at the Disney AME Church (2838 Tulip St.) is for residents in the district’s Police Service Area 2. Lieutenant Lisa Pittaoulis, the commanding officer of the Kensington Police District, will be there to meet residents. To look up your service area, go to phillypolice.com. For more information, contact tina.willis@phila.gov.
COMMUNITY MEETING: The 24th Police District will have a town hall meeting with Captain Christopher Bullick next Tuesday, July 11, at 7 p.m. The discussion will take place at the Juniata Boys and Girls Club (1001 E. Cayuga St.) with guest speakers from the Department of Human Services, Parks and Rec, and the Neighborhood Nuisance Enforcement Unit.
COMMUNITY MEETING: The 24th Police District is having a community meeting next Wednesday, July 12, at 7 p.m. The meeting at the Veteran Boxing Tavern (2733 E. Clearfield St.) is for residents in the district’s Police Service Area 3. To look up your service area, go to phillypolice.com. For more information, contact tina.willis@phila.gov.
KV NEWSROOM: Community gardens can improve living conditions and quality of life in low-income neighborhoods like Kensington. Want to get involved? Here is a list of the gardens and urban farms in the Kensington area.
CONGRESO: Congreso is hiring Community Ambassadors to engage with residents for the 2023 general election. Participants will receive a $250 stipend. To fill out the interest form, click here.
JOBS: NKCDC is hiring for several positions, including a Cure Violence Program Manager, Cure Violence Outreach Worker, and Community Farm and Urban Agriculture Program Manager. For more information, visit nkcdc.org/jobs.
KV LAB: Miss Awilda’s Media Learning Lab is a safe, supportive space where people of all ages can access free computers, internet, creative software, and learning support. The lab is inside Kensington Voice’s office space at 3237 Amber Street, 3rd floor. It is open Monday through Friday from 10:30-2:30 p.m. Get a free membership by filling out this registration form. Questions? Email daisie@kensingtonvoice.com.
KV YOUTH PROGRAM: The Youth Voices Program is for youth grades 6-12, located at Kensington Voice’s space at 3237 Amber Street, 3rd floor. The program provides activities based on creative writing, poetry, visual storytelling, and more. The free summer program is Monday to Thursday, 1-5 p.m. To register, fill out this form. Questions? Email khy@kensingtonvoice.com.
VOTER REGISTRATION: You can register to vote online, by mail, or in person at the Voter Registration Office at 520 N Columbus Blvd., 5th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19123. You can also call the office at 215-686-1590 to request voter registration applications by mail.
Please send any news or press releases to editors@kensingtonvoice.com.
Editors: Siani Colón Designer: Zari Tarazona
